This disclosure relates to a fan case ballistic liner. The disclosure also relates to a method of manufacturing the fan case ballistic liner for a gas turbine engine.
A gas turbine engine may include a fan section containing fan blades that are surrounded by a fan case supported within a nacelle. One function of the fan case is to contain fractured and separated parts of the fan blades in a radial direction. Metallic fan cases can be undesirably heavy to perform this containment function. A composite fan case constructed of non-metallic materials can reduce weight and provide the same containment capability as a metallic fan case.
It is desirable to use a ballistic liner with the composite fan case to contain the fan blade in the event of a fan blade fracture. In one example, the ballistic liner includes multiple layers of KEVLAR. Each layer of KEVLAR is hand-laid by a worker in small pieces. A resin is applied to the fan case and a pliable KEVLAR mat or fabric is embedded into the adhesive. This process is very time and labor intensive.